Nicholas Musson is scanning through a long list of bidders for a recent logo design job he posted on PeoplePerHour. His business, Kouzini, is an online shop for gourmet extra virgin olive oil which launched earlier this year, and has been gaining plenty of traction. With success has come an increased workload, and relatively straightforward design tasks like this now need to be outsourced quickly so that he can focus on more vital areas of his venture.

“It makes working a lot easier for me,” Nicholas explains. “Before I started looking online for freelancers I had to micromanage almost everything about the business. I’m not in a position to hire a full-time employee yet so sites like PPH are a good alternative.”

His story is far from unique — it’s one that thousands of new entrepreneurs will recognise, and many of these have, like Nicholas, turned to digital work platforms as an outlet for task delegation.

This so-called ‘gig economy’ seems like it’s here to stay. A recent McKinsey & Company report estimated that this growing industry could add up to $2.7 trillion to global GDP by 2025, with the potential to increase total business output by up to 9 percent in the same timeframe. The reason for the trend is straightforward enough: In cash-strapped startups or micro-ventures, which are often led by one person or a small team, there is a need to efficiently direct financial resources in a way that allows the venture to grow without incurring unnecessary costs.

Risk-Free and Cost-Friendly

Instead of hiring full time employees at a company whose future is by no means certain, connecting with individual freelancers for fixed term tasks is usually a more risk-free and cost-friendly mechanism for getting work done.

It’s the reason why, in spite of the digital work market becoming full of competing freelance hubs, demand for such platforms continues to be on the rise. In fact, recent trends shed light on a field which is quickly evolving.

The first wave of digital work sites typically followed a similar model of ‘post and bid’, where a buyer (i.e. the employer) would create a job, and subsequently receive proposals from interested freelancers around the world. From the received bids, the buyer would then select the one which best fit their needs. But in a market where speed is everything, ‘on-demand’ has taken on a new meaning and offshoots of traditional freelance hubs are starting to sprout up across the Internet.

Sites like TaskRabbit, Fiverr and SuperTasker (the latter being part of the PeoplePerHour organisation) focus on quicker allocation of work to ready made tasks. In essence, the buyer forgoes the entire job posting process and simply selects a relevant, fixed-term job from an a-la-carte menu. They then proceed to enter the relevant details, and the job is sent to a curated freelancer who completes the work in a few hours. It’s the next step in an industry which relies on speed to compete, and the goal is to allow fledgling businesses to get work done quicker than ever before.

A New Generation of Freelancers

Much has been made of the individuals on the other side of the spectrum. Freelancers have seen their livelihoods significantly altered through the advent of digital work platforms. While these sites have been vital in allowing startups to operate in a leaner fashion, they have also generated criticism from both labour organisations and the sellers (i.e. freelancers) themselves.

One of the primary complaints is that the globalised nature of such platforms eventually leads to substantial undercutting of prices for services by freelancers in the developing world.

One high-earning freelancer, Faryad, operates a joint account with his wife on PeoplePerHour and tells a story of two sides.

“I’ve seen numerous cases in which a buyer assigns $200 [€177] for a specific job and after 20 minutes of reviewing bids he reduces the budget to $50 [as a result of underbidding]. This is drastic.”

As Faryad sees it, such price dropping tactics don’t just have negative consequences for the freelancers, either. “Ultimately,” he adds, “such low bidders severely damage the reputation of the freelancing platform itself. They make the platform completely insecure for both freelancers and the buyers.”

In spite of the baggage which comes with work on such sites, Faryad has been relatively successful, and is keen to emphasize that his experience has been positive overall.

“As graphic designers, PPH has helped us meet new people from around the world. Our business isn’t local anymore, and we have customers in more than 20 countries.”

Their earning potential has been a key component to the couple remaining on the site as well. “Even though we’ve been on the platform for only a year, we’ve been able to double our income. We earn globally and spend locally. This is great for us.”

Tomorrow’s Employment Market

The drastic decrease in the cost of starting a business has been a major reason behind the wave of new startups, and encouraging people to become micropreneurs. Given the continued reliance on online operations to drive revenue, along with the importance of new startups adequately managing costs, a continued shift to digital work platforms in the future seems to be a given.

As with most new industries, there are of course downsides, and it will be up to both platform operators and possibly state regulators to mitigate them when and where they appear. Whatever the case, however, the path to the future is clear — and the gig economy is poised to continue growing at a faster rate than ever before.

All in all, the labour market we have become accustomed to might be on the brink of changing forever.

]]>http://startuphook.com/uncategorized/extra-virgin-exploring-the-growing-trend-of-digital-work-platforms/1498/feed/0Rockstart Answers: Promoting Berlin’s Most Promising Startupshttp://startuphook.com/tech/rockstart-answers-promoting-berlins-most-promising-startups/1471/
http://startuphook.com/tech/rockstart-answers-promoting-berlins-most-promising-startups/1471/#commentsWed, 15 Jul 2015 16:55:52 +0000http://startuphook.com/?p=1471Putting an idea up to peer review is crucial for any entrepreneur. When a new venture is still in the early stages and traction is just getting started, identifying potential flaws in the business model, and having the opportunity to assess...

Putting an idea up to peer review is crucial for any entrepreneur. When a new venture is still in the early stages and traction is just getting started, identifying potential flaws in the business model, and having the opportunity to assess new ways to grow the company can lead to increased chances of long term viability.

Rockstart, an Amsterdam based startup hub has been aiming to address the need for effective pitch events for some time now. They launched their Answers event a few years ago in the Netherlands, and have been gradually expanding the concept across Europe. On July 17th the gathering will make its way to Berlin.

Rockstart Answers is taking place as part of the Tech Open Air festival in Berlin.

The Format

The setup is simple. Six startups pitch their product or service to an audience of experts before finishing their three minute presentation with a question related to the company’s most substantial challenge at the moment and how they can overcome it. This is followed by a short Q/A session where the guests can learn more about the businesses in order to provide more well rounded feedback. The session closes with each audience member writing their recommendation on a piece of paper which is distributed to the company co-founders afterwards during the networking session.

“Participants will receive honest and useful answers for any problem entrepreneurs are facing on their way to the top” says Shirin Kamali, a member of Startup Germany, the group organizing the Berlin installment of the event. She also mentions one of the other main benefits, the contact building. “Rockstart answers is a great way to strengthen your own business network”.

Solidifying Your Idea

Valéry Döhler is taking part in the event along with his co-founder for their new curated music playlist venture NeverGoSolo. While he’s launched other successful startups in the past, Valéry also recognizes the value such events can generate for growing businesses. “Since we are a bootstrapped company and not VC funded, things like mobile and user retention become an entirely new challenge. We’re sure we’ll get some great input from founders, who have gone through the same experience before”.

(Valéry Döhler, right, and NeverGoSolo co-founder David Nordhausen)

In terms of what his own startup does, and how it can disrupt the music industry he had the following to say. “We will publish weekly hand-curated music playlists on a subscription basis for 99 cents a piece. We want to bridge an important gap in the music industry: between manual search, and suggestion algorithms. Our focus is on exclusivity: unknown, un-published & remixed music”.

Community Support

With an established startup scene years in the making, Berlin isn’t lacking a support system for new events looking to gain traction within the community. Startup Germany has played an important role in facilitating the expansion of the Answers event to the German capital. The organization, which looks to promote similar initiatives across the country seems keen on turning Rockstart into a mainstay.

Shirin explains her group’s rationale behind bringing the event to Berlin. “Startup Germany’s main mission is to support founders at any stage. Rockstart Answers is a great way to get direct and useful feedback from experienced founders that already went through a lot of entrepreneurial problems themselves. We love the community-driven and grassroots approach of Rockstart Answers”.

One For The Road

What attendees and participants alike will be able to take away from this meeting lies in the ease with which they can exchange ideas. Sharing experiences, and building on past errors is an important part of growing a business, and Answers promotes an environment where connecting with like-minded individuals to go over the trials and tribulations of building a startup is uniquely straightforward.

Rockstart has been successful in growing business networks around the world, and even in an established market like Berlin there’s still much to be done in powering startups and providing them the input they need to succeed.

]]>http://startuphook.com/tech/rockstart-answers-promoting-berlins-most-promising-startups/1471/feed/0Law Goes Tech: Legal Startups Changing The Gamehttp://startuphook.com/tech/law-goes-tech-legal-startups-chaning-the-game/1459/
http://startuphook.com/tech/law-goes-tech-legal-startups-chaning-the-game/1459/#commentsSat, 04 Jul 2015 18:40:10 +0000http://startuphook.com/?p=1459Given the recent wave of tech innovation, one might be forgiven for assuming there weren’t any industries left to disrupt. Oddly enough, a few lines of work have been left almost entirely out of the digital age. One of the most...

Given the recent wave of tech innovation, one might be forgiven for assuming there weren’t any industries left to disrupt. Oddly enough, a few lines of work have been left almost entirely out of the digital age. One of the most striking examples is undoubtedly law.

While it might be a while before we can make our opening statements at a trial via mobile app, there are a number of startups looking to disrupt the legal industry. We’ve selected a few standouts, and explain what sets them apart.

A newcomer which addresses a serious consumer problem. The platform allows its users to compare and select solicitors for a number of legal specializations including real estate, life (wills, etc.), and family services.

Given the number of solicitors offering their services, namely in urban centers, effectively assessing which one actually offers you the best deal is nearly impossible. If JuxtaLegal manages to gain early traction it has the potential to disrupt a massive market.

The company is looking to launch soon, and is beefing up its outreach efforts across the U.S.

As a legal professional, wouldn’t it be great to access a database of content and insightful analysis from colleagues around the world? That’s what Casetext looks to do. The 2013 Y-Combinator graduate has created a platform for knowledge exchange as it relates to the world of law. Users can subscribe to specific categories related to their own professional interests, or even contribute their own content.

The company is clear in its goal, stating that“at Casetext, we take a different approach to legal research. Instead of charging to access the law, we’re making it free. And instead of hiring people to annotate our legal database, a growing community of practicing lawyers share insights about the law to demonstrate thought leadership and build their reputation among colleagues”.

Sometimes practicality takes center stage. Fixed is one of those examples.

Through its mobile app, the startup serves as a springboard for users looking to fight parking tickets. As a process it’s simple enough. Users just have to post a picture of their parking ticket at which point it’s sent to the company which takes care of the rest.

According to the firm, 50% of tickets are dismissed when challenged, and if the challenge is unsuccessful you won’t be charged. Having been featured on numerous major media outlets ranging from CNN to Business Insider, the venture hasn’t been short of publicity. Given the frequency of parking tickets, it could well have a promising future ahead of it.

]]>http://startuphook.com/tech/law-goes-tech-legal-startups-chaning-the-game/1459/feed/1How Keteka Is Giving Travel a New Lookhttp://startuphook.com/travel-2/how-keteka-is-giving-travel-a-new-look/1429/
http://startuphook.com/travel-2/how-keteka-is-giving-travel-a-new-look/1429/#commentsMon, 15 Jun 2015 20:16:43 +0000http://startuphook.com/?p=1429Getting in touch with your surroundings is an important part of any trip abroad. While some travelers might opt for the all-inclusive resort, a growing number of adventurous consumers are looking to add something special to their trips. Keteka, new...

Getting in touch with your surroundings is an important part of any trip abroad. While some travelers might opt for the all-inclusive resort, a growing number of adventurous consumers are looking to add something special to their trips.

Keteka, new venture offering authentic tours to locations across the Peace Corps’ network in Latin America is looking to appeal to that market segment. The company offers travelers the chance to get in touch with local communities, and explore lesser seen parts of the locations they’ve come to.

We had the chance to interview one of their co-founders, Jack Fischl, who along with Kyle Wiggins set up the venture by providing local tour operators the chance to showcase their communities to a growing number of customers. Jack shed light on the team’s motivation for the venture, the future of the travel industry, and what’s next for Keteka.

What led you and Kyle to start the project? Furthermore, what made South and Central America ideal locations?

Kyle and I both served as Peace Corps Volunteers in Panama and both worked (separately) on community-level tourism projects. We both found that travelers who made it out to our communities loved the experiences, but community members didn’t have a consistent, reliable way to market themselves. It turned out a lot of other Peace Corps Volunteers had the same issue, so we created Keteka as a resource that allowed Volunteers to load information about community tourism projects. After a flood of submissions from around the world, and more research into the space, we realized there was a huge opportunity to connect travelers with authentic, off-the-beaten-path, local experiences. It’s hard to find experiences like this online, and even harder to book them in advance. The rest of the online travel booking process (i.e. flights, hotels, etc.) is easily searchable and bookable – tours and activities, and particularly tours and activities outside of big cities, are not. We are looking to change that.

We began by testing the concept in Panama, where we naturally have the most connections to local tourism projects. Once we had some traction, it made sense for us to expand out from Latin America. Being accepted into Start-Up Chile made the decision that much easier, and gave us a solid base of operations in LatAm.

How was the experience of growing a venture like this across so many countries? How involved do you try to be in each local community?

We were quite involved with bringing on new communities in the beginning and have since been trying to automate and smooth out the onboarding process as much as possible. The more we can streamline that, the better we can scale and include more communities around the world. The ideal situation is to provide a steady, but not overwhelming stream of travelers to each community, such that tourism is something they can rely on for income, without harming the local environment or culture.

Some communities naturally need more attention than others, and we have some protocols in place to help them adjust to participating in the modern economy (e.g. receiving payments from overseas, communicating tour availability). When a community needs extra attention, either a founder calls, or we send a member of the team to speak with them in person. It is important to us that we are conducting business on terms that work for them.

In terms of the tours available, how broad is the scope of activities travelers can engage in?

There is a huge range of options on Keteka, in terms of price, trip length, and location. For example, we have day tours available just outside of major hubs like Santiago, and multi-day trips to the middle of nowhere, like our trip deep into the Amazon jungle in Ecuador.

Traveler with local operator at an ancient Incan well in Peru

What do traditional tours lack which you feel Keteka can make up for?

The market has been speaking clearly for the last few years: travelers want to do tours in smaller groups, with local guides, and they want to see something authentic. Common sense supports the data: when you come back from a trip, are you more likely to tell your friends about the Hop On, Hop Off bus tour in the capital, or the tour in the indigenous village where you learned how to turn raw cacao into organic dark chocolate? There is plenty of demand, it’s just been difficult for travelers to connect with unconventional trips. We are hoping to change that.

As people gradually become more aware of services like yours, how do you see travel changing?

It is going to get easier and easier to find and book authentic experiences online. I think a typical trip will involve a thorough mix of seeing a country’s main attractions and getting off-the-beaten-path, instead of just checking off destinations from the guidebook.

Traditional tour-booking behavior still dominates (i.e. research in a guide book, make the booking from your hotel or hostel once you’re in-country), but as more services like ours become ubiquitous, trustworthy, and easy to use, there will be a near-total shift to booking tours and activities online. Every other part of the travel experience is booked online (except dining, though that is also possible in developed areas), so I don’t think it’s a particularly crazy hypothesis.

What do you make of the reception so far, both from travelers, and operators?

Every traveler has enjoyed their experiences so far. Many have written rave reviews. Our only complaints have been related to logistical issues (as opposed to issues with the experiences themselves) and our only refund was a trip canceled due to altitude sickness.

For operators, it’s a no-lose proposition, with a high upside: when they list their tours with us, they either get more customers, or nothing changes. For several of our operators, we’ve become consistent providers of customers, which means steady business from people that may not have otherwise found out about them.

We realize that as we get bigger, we are destined to have unsatisfied customers and operators. We’ve been blessed with customers and operators who are clearly early adopters of new concepts and eager to connect with authentic experiences in a responsible manner.

Family of travelers in Chile

The website notes that Keteka is aiming to eventually be active in all 60 countries where Peace Corps serves. Any idea of where your next expansion might be?

Our goal is to be in every country in Latin America by the end of 2015. If all goes well, we will expand into Southeast Asia in early 2016 and go from there.

Anything else our readers should know about Keteka? (Side note: Feel free to leave anything else you might want to make public here. This could be news, or even just the best way to get in touch).

If you are interested in this type of travel, but we are not currently in a country you are interested in visiting, subscribe to our newsletter or just check back frequently, because we add a new country about every month! I’m also happy to help you plan a trip to one of our countries of destination – just email me at jack@keteka.com!

]]>http://startuphook.com/travel-2/how-keteka-is-giving-travel-a-new-look/1429/feed/1Tidal Will Fail, and That’s a Good Thinghttp://startuphook.com/tech/tidal-will-fail-and-thats-a-good-thing/1418/
http://startuphook.com/tech/tidal-will-fail-and-thats-a-good-thing/1418/#commentsWed, 27 May 2015 19:40:48 +0000http://startuphook.com/?p=1418Examples of new ventures which seem to have all the ingredients to succeed, but ultimately fail to live up to expectations aren’t difficult to find. Given the hype surrounding its launch, its big name celebrity backers, and considering the industry it’s...

Examples of new ventures which seem to have all the ingredients to succeed, but ultimately fail to live up to expectations aren’t difficult to find. Given the hype surrounding its launch, its big name celebrity backers, and considering the industry it’s trying to disrupt, Tidal is looking more likely to add its name to that dubious list.

The music streaming service, which Alicia Keys stated would “change the course of music history” has been met with criticism from competitors and artists alike. To be fair, there are a number of bones to pick with the platform, ranging from its price tag (up to $20 per month, with no free option), to the way it’s been promoted. Has the negative response to Tidal been proportional to its actual market influence though, and does public perception ultimately wind up playing a central role in whether or not a business of this nature proves to be a hit?

Music Economics 101

A quick look at the music streaming market would show that freemium has become the norm. Consumers have more or less come to terms with the fact that access to large databases of relatively high quality music will entail having to deal with at least some commercial breaks. Furthermore, piracy seems to be just as popular as ever, with the RIAA estimating that between 2004 and 2009 over 30 billion songs were downloaded illegally. In fact, it’s estimated that only around 37% of music consumption is actually paid.

Tidal is trying to stake a place in the market by offering higher quality sound as compensation for its customers having to cough up cash in return. This is one of the main indications that the company’ executives might have miscalculated the value of what the platform is offering, along with the actual scope of its appeal.

Services of this nature might be appealing for a music producer who is genuinely in need of high quality audio, or other restricted niche markets within the industry, but to an every day consumer who can already get relatively good quality music for free from an endless number of legal (and illegal) streaming/downloading sites? Not so much.

At the end of the day, questions must be raised about whether the company genuinely believed this selling point would drive growth on a large scale. If not, it seems they had another card to play as well, one of supposedly bringing music back to the artists.

“A Platform Owned By The Artists”

Anyone who knows aspiring musicians is well aware of the uphill battle they face both for recognition, along with income. Unless you have significant commercial appeal, and diverse revenue streams, losing money to pirated songs can truly be a major issue. This is one of the reasons why we shouldn’t be so quick to write off what Tidal is trying to achieve. What should be discussed though is how the firm went about achieving it.

As a general rule, having multimillionaire pop artists preach about why its important for people to buy their music isn’t going to win much sympathy from the masses (see Metallica and Napster). This is where perception comes into play.

Imagine for a second that a startup similar to Tidal was launched by a cooperative of independent recording artists looking for a more profitable alternative to platforms like Spotify, which is seen in some circles as exploitative of musicians, given their low reward-per-listen. Furthermore, imagine that in the place of Jay-Z and the rest, one of this cooperative’s members took the stage at the launch event to share their thoughts on the important of the public backing an artist owned alternative to the corporate hegemony of the industry. It’s fair to assume that such an approach would garner more far-reaching sympathy from audiences around the world.

This is ultimately the root of the problem. Tidal is corporate. It’s the creation of ultra-rich recording artists, and makes no quarrels about not putting the consumer first in this regard.

Moreover, it’s a company that seems to still not know where to position itself. If its aim is to offer premium quality, then why market it to the everyday listeners, most of whom have no need for such a service? If it wants to “fight the establishment”, then how can it justify being headed by establishment artists?

British recording artist Marina and The Diamonds hit the nail on the head in her assessment of Tidal, and its promoters. “Sure, they’re really respected musicians, but they’re all globally renowned business men and business women. They all have a lot of money. For me, it would make more sense if the message was about supporting the artist, which I think is within their message, but they should actually include artists like include Beck, The Distillers or The Maccabees—include bands who’ve made great work, but maybe aren’t on their level in terms of commercialism”.

A Sweet Farewell

The bittersweet lesson to be learned from Tidal’s imminent failure is that there is still room for innovation in the music industry.

Having hit on two major consumer needs, high quality music for select audiences, along with a platform actually run by musicians, and which offers a fairer profit-sharing arrangement, the company might have opened the door for offshoot’s catering to both markets in the future.

Ultimately though, brand perception is everything, especially for a startup. Tidal might host a number of independent musicians, but for the reasons mentioned above, the company has turned off a significant portion of its target market (whether it has actually assessed what its target market is can be debated).

However well a product or service might be promoted, if the central role isn’t to put the customer first, the business is bound to fail. Tidal seems poised to serve as the latest example of this rule.

]]>http://startuphook.com/tech/tidal-will-fail-and-thats-a-good-thing/1418/feed/1Can BlueVine Solve Cash Flow Problems For Good?http://startuphook.com/e-commerce/can-bluevine-solve-cash-flow-problems-for-good/1383/
http://startuphook.com/e-commerce/can-bluevine-solve-cash-flow-problems-for-good/1383/#commentsTue, 19 May 2015 19:03:48 +0000http://startuphook.com/?p=1383Cash flow problems can beset any business. When relying on clients for payments, even a profitable venture can run into trouble in terms of having ready cash on hand. Given the explosion of fintech startups over the past few years,...

Cash flow problems can beset any business. When relying on clients for payments, even a profitable venture can run into trouble in terms of having ready cash on hand.

Given the explosion of fintech startups over the past few years, one of the niche markets still seemingly poised to grow is small business finance. We’ve looked into firms active in the industry in previous articles, but as a sector of the financial market so crucial to business expansion, and so core to finance, profiling new ventures is always important.

With this in mind we had the chance to interview Eyal Lifshitz, Founder of BlueVine.

His company provides funding solutions to a range of businesses, and even facilitates more straightforward invoice payments for clients. Eyal took the time to discuss what sets his firm apart from the competition, his personal motivation for starting the business, and also offered some valuable insight into how he sees the fintech field developing in the future.

Eyal Lifshitz

How would you describe BlueVine to someone unfamiliar with the business?

BlueVine provides working capital financing to small businesses online. If you, as a business provide services or products to other businesses, you extend them credit terms which can range from 30 to 60 days. The waiting time is challenging as a small venture, so we work to give businesses the money upfront. You can use the advance to streamline your cash better. We only get paid when the company pays the invoice.

What led you to create the company?

For me it was a combination of two things. First, I’m familiar with small businesses and the cash flow challenges they face. My father, and his as well were small business owners. My dad had a physiotherapy practice where he would wait up to two months to get paid from private insurance company’s. On the other hand, before this role I worked at a finance firm. I was a principal there, and during my time I was exposed to a lot of companies and innovation in the financial space. I saw a lot of companies disrupting the field and doing a good job. Bringing those together I thought there was a good opportunity to leverage my knowledge and experience as a venture capitalist, and my experience in how you can apply data analytics in a disruptive fashion. When it comes to invoices, I believe we can provide a similar disruption in this space.

All companies have their competitive advantages, what really sets BlueVine apart from traditional short term lenders?

I’d argue that nobody’s doing what we’re doing. A mortgage is not the same as a student or auto loan. These are different financing structures based on different factors. Commercial financing is the same, with different verticals and niches. We’re disrupting a specific niche, invoice financing. Nobody, at least in the US is doing what we are. Other companies might be similar but the overlap isn’t that great. Our competition is the offline world, we’re the first doing it online on this scale.

From what I understand, businesses don’t even have to redirect their invoice address to the company, they can keep everything in their name and still pay you back?

The way it works is we give our clients a BlueVine account (P.O. Box and bank account), and with the invoices we fund they have to change the payment info with their customers, but their information is the same. Even though the money is going to BlueVine we’re really anonymous. We’re discreet in what we do. The customer might send the check to a different address but they still write the check to the same customer.

How prevalent would you say cash flow problems like these are? What kind of market are we looking at?

The traditional market at the low end could turn up to $15 billion in the US. It’s three times the size of merchant cash advances. Banks might finance large credit lines for large companies, but on the low end the market estimate is around there.

Moving forward, how do you see the fintech field developing? Where do the next big trends lie?

In the new age fintech market I think you’ll see brands being developed. Why do people go to Bank of America or Chase? A lot of it has to do with brands. I think you’re seeing some of it today with companies like Lending Club. Companies that are startups today, in five to ten years will be common household brands. In terms of opportunities, there are so many. It’s hard to say what will happen with something like Bitcoin. There’s lots of layers to that and it’s interesting to see how it’ll develop. In financing I think there are a few verticals like equipment financing which haven’t been developed. Those could be disrupted, along with niches like consumer credit. Especially using data to make better credit decisions. The way credit reports work is open for innovation and I think you’ll see that.

Anything else our users should be aware of? News about the company?

We recently increased our credit lines up to $100,000. Up until recently we were doing up to $50,000. A lot of it has come from our clients. We’ve grown with them, and they’ve become a catalyst for this. Our clients have been growing rapidly and that’s something we’re excited about. The business is growing fast for us at 100% quarter over quarter. We’re excited about reaching as many small businesses as we can and helping them thrive.

]]>http://startuphook.com/e-commerce/can-bluevine-solve-cash-flow-problems-for-good/1383/feed/1The Life of a Digital Nomadhttp://startuphook.com/employment-2/the-life-of-a-digital-nomad/1360/
http://startuphook.com/employment-2/the-life-of-a-digital-nomad/1360/#commentsTue, 12 May 2015 08:57:55 +0000http://startuphook.com/?p=1360Ever thought of working around the world? Picking up your bags and going from one city to another seems like a dream job, or something you’d see in the movies. However, of thousands of people in the tech sector, it’s...

Ever thought of working around the world? Picking up your bags and going from one city to another seems like a dream job, or something you’d see in the movies. However, of thousands of people in the tech sector, it’s just a way of live.

Aptly termed ‘digital nomads’, these individuals usually contribute their services (which tend to be in the field of programming/IT) to startups for a few months, working on specific projects before hitting the road again for the next step in their never-ending journey.

Anton Podviaznikov is a digital nomad himself. Having worked across Europe and the Americas, he’s seen his share of innovative startups, and has a few interesting stories to tell as well. We caught up with him to find out more about this unique, but ever more common lifestyle, his experiences, and plans for the future.

– What led you to become a digital nomad? Was it spontaneous, or did you have a plan to start traveling the world?

“It was mostly by accident. I had a full-time job and didn’t know it was possible to have such a lifestyle. Then I joined a startup called CircuitHub and our founder wanted to build a distributed team with retreats together 1-2 times per year. I didn’t have a permanent place to live at the time, so I started travelling”.

– What are some of the main challenges someone who chooses a professional lifestyle like this might encounter?

“I guess the challenges depend on your personality and are highly individual. One thing which might be difficult in the beginning is to figure out what style of travelling works for you: e.x. how often can you change cities and feel comfortable, how many things do you need to have with you etc. Also, visa issues might be annoying, but this depends on your citizenship”.

– Having practiced your trade around the world, you’ve probably seen a wide range of approaches to startup success. Does Silicon Valley really differ that much from the rest of the world? If so, how?

“Hmm, if I give you the answer for this question it would be some kind of generalization and I want to avoid such statements. What I want to say is that you can find smart, creative, diverse people all over the world. I want to believe that good things can be build anywhere”.

– Where did you have the most fun, and which project was the most exciting for you?

“I really like Ecuador. It’s a little-known gem. It’s my go-to recommendation because it may surprise all types of travellers. I did like working on CircuitHub.com, it has a great mission and nice team. What you do matters and also people you are working with matter a lot”.

Anton in Guatemala

– Would you recommend aspiring developers, and other professionals to follow your lead and try the ‘nomad’ life?

“I’d recommend following your heart and not my lead:) Try different things and find those that make you feel good. There are multiple scenarios to your life and only you can pick the best one. Experiment and don’t be afraid!”

– How about now? Working on anything new? Where can our readers find you?

“Right now I’m living in San Francisco working for a company called Runnable. If you’re in the city please do send me a message. I like to meet people from around the world”.

]]>http://startuphook.com/employment-2/the-life-of-a-digital-nomad/1360/feed/0Are Some Startup Hubs Doomed To Failure?http://startuphook.com/social-2/are-some-startup-hubs-doomed-to-failure/1328/
http://startuphook.com/social-2/are-some-startup-hubs-doomed-to-failure/1328/#commentsWed, 06 May 2015 17:16:54 +0000http://startuphook.com/?p=1328Are all tech hubs created equal? Probably not. While the expansion, and accessibility of higher education has made the modern global talent pool more ingenuitive than ever, and although new businesses are growing at a blistering pace around the world, a...

Probably not. While the expansion, and accessibility of higher education has made the modern global talent pool more ingenuitive than ever, and although new businesses are growing at a blistering pace around the world, a series of common variables often lead to certain cities blossoming into new Silicon Valley’s, while others never reach their full potential.

Numerous factors play their part in determining whether a startup hub will thrive or remain stagnant. We’ll look into some of the defining components of what goes in to creating the next new business capital, and why some will inevitably be left behind.

1. Ease of Doing Business

This should never be overlooked. As dynamic a talent pool a city might possess, if enough roadblocks to opening a business, and capital movement (investment) are put into place, no number of startup accelerators, or coworking spaces will be enough to ward off the forthcoming failure.

Speaking from personal experience, Athens, Greece has a number of promising new startups, and talented young entrepreneurs. They’re growing businesses which, under different circumstances could make their mark across both domestic and regional markets. However in a country which is plagued by over-regulation of the business sector, including multiple bureaucratic obstructions limiting the ease with which foreign venture capital can be pumped in to support aspiring startups, one can’t help but be pessimistic for the current state of the community.

2. Cost of Living

It’s hard to not think of Berlin when this issue comes up. Low rent prices were one of the primary ingredients in transforming the German capital into a dynamic tech hub, currently hosting over 2,000 startups. and amassing over $800 million in Q1 funding for 2015.

Being priced out of cities like London, a new generation of business leaders came to the city to build some of Europe’s leading ventures. While the prices have gone up over the past decade, Berlin remains an attractive option both within Germany, and in comparison with some of Europe’s other business centers.

3. Geography

While it might be overlooked, geography plays its part in developing tech hubs. Europe is a prime example of this in action, with cities like Amsterdam, and Berlin being centrally located both across continental transport routes, which make them a natural crossing point to begin with. In addition, there’s also their proximity to national borders, making the influx of foreign talent all the more feasible as well.

In the same regard, geography can work as a disadvantage to cities across Europe’s periphery, including essentially isolated markets such as Tel Aviv, which in spite of the range of successful companies it has produced, is effectively cut-off from the rest of the continent.

4. Local Higher Learning

Having Stanford around the corner must be nice for executives in Silicon Valley.

In truth, having top ranked higher education institutions can provide a huge boost to cities looking to set themselves apart as tech hubs. Especially in cases where high level STEM programs are nearby, the level of talent flooding the job market breeds innovation on its own, and provides local firms with a major competitive advantage.

5. Culture

Ultimately, it is a lot about culture. Different cities are known for different things, both in business and beyond. Brand recognition as a locality helps spur a more general culture of innovation, bringing in talented individuals who look to be at the heart of the action when it comes to new business development, product launching, and venture capital.

True startup cities are also renowned for their counterculture. It’s about having a new take on business, and embracing creativity, new ideas, and new technology. Corporate centers will always be around, however for a true startup city to exist, the above factors all play their part.

]]>http://startuphook.com/social-2/are-some-startup-hubs-doomed-to-failure/1328/feed/0Five Startup Safary Events You Can’t Misshttp://startuphook.com/entertainment-2/five-startup-safary-events-you-cant-miss/1316/
http://startuphook.com/entertainment-2/five-startup-safary-events-you-cant-miss/1316/#commentsMon, 04 May 2015 19:08:42 +0000http://startuphook.com/?p=1316When it comes to Berlin’s top business summits, Startup Safary can’t be left off the list. We’ve covered the three day convention before, and in anticipation of the current installment in the German capital, running from the 6th to the 8th...

When it comes to Berlin’s top business summits, Startup Safary can’t be left off the list. We’ve covered the three day convention before, and in anticipation of the current installment in the German capital, running from the 6th to the 8th of May, we’ve put together a list of the top five ‘can’t miss’ events.

Few startups have been able to champion community building, effective marketing, and crisis management as well as Uber (don’t forget, we’ve analyzed that as well). The company’s Berlin based marketing and communications associate, Julana Chondrasch will discuss the firm’s methods in targeting customers, and working with them to promote the brand name. When aspiring startups call themselves “the Uber of…” then it’s fair to say that the input here will be valuable.

Touching on a subject critical to early stage startups looking to gain traction in the market, CEO Oisin Zimmermann, and Head of Strategy Alyssa Rivera from group video call app ‘heyyo‘ will discuss some of the challenges involved in going viral with a product, effective marketing techniques, and strategy for hitting your goals. They’ll also be showcasing their app.

If you’ve ever been curious about the inner workings of venture capital firms, then this seminar is for you. Rodrigo Martinez, Early Stage Technology Investor at Point Nine Capital will elaborate on his, and his company’s experience as an early stage funding partner. For founders looking to learn how to position their own startup in order to make it more attractive to VC’s, this presentation is even more valuable.

One of the job seekers out there, along with those considering a career switch to a startup. Hytch co-founder Christoph Speckmann will go into why 99% of CV’s look alike, and what prospective candidates can do to set themselves apart from the pack. Guests are also encouraged to bring their own resumes, and can ask questions beforehand on Twitter.

Making it big as a startup is the holy grail of new business. Getting to that point can be tough, but if anyone can share their story than it’s the staff at online shoe selling boomer, Zalando. VP of Brand Solutions Christoph Lange, and Strategic Growth Manger Benjamin Worner will share their experiences from the company’s rise on the top, and what it takes to go from zero to over $1 billion in sales.

]]>http://startuphook.com/entertainment-2/five-startup-safary-events-you-cant-miss/1316/feed/0Crowdfunding For Books? FicShelf’s New Ideahttp://startuphook.com/publishing/crowdfunding-for-books-ficshelfs-new-idea/1302/
http://startuphook.com/publishing/crowdfunding-for-books-ficshelfs-new-idea/1302/#commentsFri, 01 May 2015 14:24:22 +0000http://startuphook.com/?p=1302As is becoming ever more common across various markets, crowdfunding platforms are continuing to be on the rise. For an industry which is expected to be worth up to $100 billion by 2025, previously untested channels are being explored in...

As is becoming ever more common across various markets, crowdfunding platforms are continuing to be on the rise. For an industry which is expected to be worth up to $100 billion by 2025, previously untested channels are being explored in order to generate alternative investment methods.

Publishing is a perfect example.

While the field has already been tapped by other firms, FicShelf, a startup still in its beta phase, is looking to disrupt the market by offering an easy to use crowdfunding platform for aspiring writers to gain valuable investment, and their readers to support promising projects.

Their Co-Founder and CEO, Monique Duarte was kind enough to take our questions about the new company, her view on the publishing market, and plans for the future.

How would you describe FicShelf to a potential user? What does the platform offer which we haven’t seen in the publishing world so far?

FicShelf is an online publishing platform for people who love reading and writing. We use technology and social trends to solve the current issues within the publishing market, but we also respect the traditional processes too.

Writers are already making use of social networking in order to build a following. Readers are interested in more than just good content – they want to be part of the creative process – to truly engage with the story, as it is being written. FicShelf makes this possible through allowing writers to serialise their work, chapter by chapter, and helping them to monetise their content.

Our tools also allow writers to optimise the creation of their books, with the ability to crowdfund, collaborate with a community of publishing professionals – solving the issues of visibility, promotion and selling – and build their very own publishing teams.

For publishing professionals, we offer the promise of work and networking opportunities, along with a forum to make their voice heard in this transforming industry.

You just reached your beta phase. Tell us about that experience, and all that goes into setting up a business.

We are elated!

Coordinating fundraising, managing cash flow, hiring personnel (bearing in mind the aforementioned cash flow), and PR efforts – all while you are building your product – is no mean feat. So if you have reached the Beta stage, chances are you have done all of the above, or most of it, right.

Of course getting to this stage has also meant a lot of hard work and compromise. But that only makes the moment sweeter. It took us more time than expected to launch, but that is because we wanted a strong base that would allow us to scale and evolve quickly.

Yes, we are improving day by day, but we have built a solid foundation, and we are proud of it.

FicShelf is being launched in three phases, correct? What’s your reasoning behind that?

That is correct, and there are two reasons for this:

Firstly, businesses should never evolve in isolation. A good lean startup involves its stakeholders as soon as possible, so it made sense to develop in stages, rather than going into our cave and emerging one year later with a solution none of our customers needed.

Secondly, if you are trying to disrupt a market as we are, you have to start from the bottom of the pyramid, where you are needed. JK Rowling doesn’t need us, but there are millions of self-publishing and amateur writers in need of a startup like FicShelf. We target this audience first in order to achieve critical mass.

Tell us about ‘social publishing’. What is it, and how does it benefit writers

Social publishing means involving readers early on in the creative process. It challenges the stereotypical view of solitary writing in which an author would retreat to a cabin in the woods and resurface years later with a masterpiece. The publishing market is saturated. Instead of dealing with issues of visibility and promotion, it makes much more sense to work on building an audience of loyal readers who will support you throughout the creative process, and then when your book is ready, buy it.

There are many members of the publishing elite that will turn up their noses at phenomena such as fanfiction and online periodical publication. But they do so at their own peril. Wonder how EL James managed to transform her Twilight fanfiction into a worldwide hit in itself? Through her fanbase – that is how. Social publishing allows authors to acquire more than just readers. Through social publishing, they can get followers – a captive audience, who will support them both emotionally and financially, through thick and thin.

JK Rowling is known for having kept a very respectful eye on her fanfiction community.

Besides, online periodical publication is a great way to test the waters with a new book idea. Publish a few chapters online and see if there is any interest in the story you want to tell before you dedicate years of your life to writing it in full. The extra benefit authors will have on FicShelf’s Social Publishing Platform is a quicker form of remuneration, by selling a story chapter by chapter, as they write it. It worked for Dickens, and it will work for us too.

FicShelf is looking to allow writers to utilize crowdfunding for their projects. Do you feel the field is well-suited for these types of campaigns?

Definitely. Readers are interested in more than just consuming high quality content. They want to be part of the story. They want to know that their money is going beyond consumerism, and actually reaching the artist.

Publishing houses are no longer able, nor interested in footing the bill. We all have a responsibility to make sure that the classics of our time make it onto our bookshelves.

Although it’s still early, what have you made of the feedback you’ve received so far?

We worked hard to make sure that we had the right balance of writers, readers, editors and designers among our beta testers. The feedback we receive from them is essential to the development of the platform. In fact, we are so keenly aware of this that we have one member of the team purely responsible for engaging with our beta testers and answering their queries.

How do you see FicShelf developing as a brand in the future? If all goes well in the early stages, have you thought of what the next step might be?

We have big ambitions for the FicShelf brand. As you say, it’s early days, but in the future we plan to build an audience of not just thousands, but hundreds of thousands. One day we would like to rival even Amazon’s publishing division!

Anything else our readers should know?

Yes! We’ve just launched our new Funding Platform, and we’re rather proud of it. We’re allowing authors to fundraise, and use the proceeds to hire their own publishing team. We have three fantastic writers who won a competition we ran in partnership with the Alliance of Independent Authors running funding campaigns at the moment. Please do consider supporting them at ficshelf.com/funding.